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ECU Sperm Whale
| Issuer | Federal Republic of Germany |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
| Type | Fantasy coin |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ECU FOR NATURE 1995 ECU PRO NATURA |
| Reverse description | Central motif depicts a highly detailed relief portrait of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) shown in left-facing profile, swimming horizontally across the field above stylized ocean waves. To the right of the whale's body, the German common name 'Pottwal' and the Latin binomial 'Physeter macrocephalus' are inscribed in the field. A decorative ribbon banner in the lower portion of the field bears the conservation slogan 'SAVE THE WHALES' in bold relief lettering. A border of twelve five-pointed stars encircles the entire design, referencing the European Community motif. |
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| Additional information |
This piece belongs to a short-lived German commemorative program tied to the European Currency Unit, issued in the mid-1990s while the Maastricht Treaty's monetary union provisions were still being debated and the ECU itself remained a basket currency rather than physical tender. Germany never circulated ECU-denominated coins domestically; these were struck purely as collector pieces, with no monetary function even in theory.
The whale subject reflects broader West German environmental legislation of the 1980s, particularly the country's early adoption of international whaling moratorium commitments under the IWC.